California Department of Transportation

CALTRANS CELEBRATES NEW CARPOOL LANE PROJECT ON U.S. 101

CARPINTERIA - Caltrans, the Ventura County Transportation Commission, and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments held a groundbreaking ceremony today for a $102 million project that will add 12 miles of new carpool lanes on the Ventura Freeway (Highway 101) – the first ever in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The project received $81 million in funding from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. In total, approximately $12 billion in Proposition 1B funds have been distributed statewide.

“This project will encourage commuters to carpool, which will help reduce traffic congestion and gasoline consumption, and improve air quality,” said Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.

Carpool lanes typically carry two to three times more people at peak traffic hours than regular lanes.

One carpool lane in each direction will be constructed along a six-mile stretch of the freeway between Mobil Pier Road in Ventura County and Casitas Pass Road in Santa Barbara County. Granite Construction of Watsonville, California is the contractor on the project.